Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to isolation chambers. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods for disinfecting floatation tanks.
Description of the Related Art
An isolation chamber, or floatation tank, is a dark, soundproofed enclosure containing a layer of salt water upon which a user floats, typically for relaxation or meditation purposes. The chamber is designed to isolate the user from external stimuli such as light, sound, smell, and, in particular, gravity. Epsom salt is usually added to the water in the isolation tank to increase the density of the solution such that the user floats comfortably near the surface with the face above the water. The buoyancy created by this salt solution effectively eliminates the body's specific gravity, bringing the floater close to an experience of total weightlessness.
Isolation chambers for commercial usage must maintain proper sanitation practices to ensure a safe and healthy environment for the users. As with swimming pools and other recreational water facilities, the water in an isolation chamber is subject to undesirable contaminants introduced by the users and environment. These contaminants may include pathogenic micro-organisms such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. Commercial isolation chambers should therefore include a properly designed disinfection system for killing these micro-organisms to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases.
Conventional isolation chambers typically rely on chemical disinfectants such as chlorine for water sanitation. Chlorine disinfection is inexpensive, quick and effective at killing most pathogenic microbes, and leaves a residual in the water that continues disinfecting for a long period of time. Residual chlorine is desirable, and often required, for public swimming pools and similar venues where a user may be exposed to contaminants introduced by other swimmers. This residual is used to validate a certain level of decontamination. This criteria is designed to be used with regular water in an open space.
In a magnesium sulfate solution one cannot accurately monitor the chemical residual, making it impossible for either the operator or public health authority to determine correct measurement of disinfecting chemicals, resulting in blind dosing.
Chemical disinfectants react with organic matter to produce toxic disinfection by-products such as trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, chlorite, and others. In particular, chlorine reacts with ammonia or nitrogen containing compounds such as sweat, saliva, and urine to produce chloramines. Exposure to chloramines can cause respiratory problems, rashes and other skin conditions, eye irritation, digestive disorders, and other health issues. In addition, chloramines also produce an irritating odor which is particularly undesirable for isolation chambers, where the desired goal is to isolate the user as much as possible from external stimuli.
Hence, a need exists in the art for an improved system or method for sanitizing and monitoring isolation chambers that is safer than conventional chemical approaches.